Following is an Amazon.com review of "Goodbye Natalie Goodbye Splendour" submitted by Natalie Wood's professional hairdresser of 17 years, Ginger Sugar Blymyer. Natalie and Ginger were close, and that seems to bother several other reviewers tremendously. Therefore, the comments at Ginger's review multiply daily and now almost outnumber the amount of actual reviews. If you purchase or purchased GNGS at Amazon, I would be honored to see your honest review placed there, too. Thank you to all reviewers.
Link for Ginger's review:
Amazon.com: Ginger Sugar Blymyer's review of Goodbye Natalie, Goodbye Splendour
Link for Ginger's interesting book:
Amazon.com: Hairdresser to the Stars: A Hollywood Memoir (9780741408990): Ginger Sugar Blymyer: Books
The Review:
Give Natalie her Dignity. I believe Dennis., February 26, 2010
By Ginger Sugar Blymyer (Hermosa Beach, California) - See all my reviews
First of all let me say I was Natalie Woods Hairstylist for seventeen years and knew her very well. I was not with her the last three years of her life and was utterly shocked at what happened. Or what was said to have happened to her. Because I was not there I had to believe what was written. I thought she was drinking too much and fell. I surmised that being drunk Wagner and Dennis just stayed in a fog and let her drown or drift away. It made it sound good for Wagner but leaving Natalie as a drunk.
It took me a long time to read Goodbye Natalie, Goodbye Splendour. I don't know why but it did. Once I opened the book I couldn't stop reading. Now remember I was there so much of the time, not on the boat but other places. I began to read and the truth rang out. Dennis's description of his lifeHairdresser to the Stars: A Hollywood Memoir around Natalie was so real and true. It brought back so many years of my life. (I am now 75)
The last conversation while working on Eva Ryker, was so intimate and truthful. Both Natalie and I were suffering our husband's drinking problems. She also was at a turning point in her life. It was time to go out in new directions. At that time people didn't take their children with them to work. Natalie loved her girls and had agreed to be there for them. We even stopped by school to see them in a play.
Three years later she was gone. Reading this book I could understand that the things I sensed in my last conversation had propelled her to a need for change.
I believe what Dennis has described about the weekend. I believe that working with C.W. she became inspired and probably had a buddy who was coaxing her toward her growth while RJ was wanting her under his thumb. How could she break the perfect couple again. I have a feeling that weekend she was tired of the accusations of infideliety. I never saw that in all the time I worked with her. Granted we all were close and intimate on a set. We spent more time together than with our families or mates. But that didn't mean sleeping with each other.
So that weekend it seemed she needed to make a break and meant to have it happen. She didn't care about really making peace. I believe the fight, but the fight should never have ended with bruises on her body and her going overboard. She was so tiny. It is so sad to think of that beautiful little body covered in bruises. I can never imagine her taking out the boat. I do believe what happened is that she went overboard not of her own accord and nobody went to rescue her, just let her float away and drown. I cannot forgive Wagner for that. I do feel sad that her daughters have to understand what happened to their mother, but they were robbed of their life with her. I do believe it is not fair to characterize her as a drunk who fell into the ocean.
It is time to give her back her dignity. I don't know what will come of the truth being told now. But I hope that every person who has asked me "what happened?" as so many do, all the time if they know I worked with her, will read this and perhaps the truth will come to the surface. Thanks Marti Rulli and Dennis for finally bringing the truth to us.
Sunday, March 7, 2010
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Marti, I think Ginger's review drew the negative comments because she was close to Natalie Wood and the Wagner fans can't tolerate that someone who actually knew Natalie so well is in favor of your book. I read somewhere, I believe on Twitter, that Nancy Grace is interested in your book?
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ReplyDeleteGNGS is such a controversial story that I fully expect critique on both ends of the spectrum, but I never doubted Dennis, and although I held my breath while he was taking the polygraph test, I had no doubt he would pass it. I am the person who researched polygraphists and I am so grateful we found Howard Temple. His expertise assured me that whatever future polygraph Dennis may take, we were first handled by one of the best. As for Nancy Grace. Yes, please stand by.
Ginger's review was the pounced on by a few Wagner fans. The conclusion I draw from that is that a positive review from someone who knew both Natalie and RJ is a threat to some Wagner supporters. Why else would that have attacked her and her review with such vengeance?
ReplyDeleteGinger's review definitely unleashed a firestom, and there are very good reasons for that.
ReplyDeleteAs GNGS gains more and more credibility, I have noticed increasingly desperate attempts by Wagner's defenders to attack both the book and Marti and Dennis. They also have to attack people who support the book.
That's all they have left--attacking in lieu of valid arguments and reasoning. The truth really scares them, but they will not be successful at stopping it.
It is really appalling that some of them "LOL" in their posts. How does someone find humor in this deeply tragic story?
This might be a silly question, but I'm confused and frustrated. Do you have to have purchased GNGS at Amazon to post a review of it there?
ReplyDeleteI've been having trouble trying to post my review. Now it's saying that I have to wait 48 hours until making a purchase there to post my review--I have made purchases there before, but I got GNGS as a gift. Any suggestions, please?
I will gladly buy another copy if I must!
I went ahead and purchased another copy of GNGS at Amazon so that I can post my review. This has been far more frustrating than it needs to be. I don't understand because I made other recent purchases there. So, just in case it means I have to buy the book there to post on it, I will--and did.
ReplyDelete